1H-benzimidazole-5-carboxamides as anti-inflammatory agents

A compounds of formula Ia, Ib or Ic:

• in which
• R1 represents C1-3 alkyl optionally substituted by one or more fluoro atoms, C3-6 cycloalkyl, fluoro, chloro, bromo;
• R2 represents hydrogen, C1-3 alkyl optionally substituted by one or more fluoro atoms, C3-6 cycloalkyl, fluoro, chloro, bromo;
• R3, R3a and R4 independently represent hydrogen, fluoro, chloro, bromo, C1-3 alkyl optionally substituted by one or more fluoro atoms;
• R6 represents hydrogen or C1-6 alkyl optionally substituted by one or more substituents selected from fluoro, —N(Ry1)Ry2, —N(Ry3)—C(O)—Ry4, —N(Ry5)—S(O)2—Ry6, —C(O)ORy7, —C(O)N(Ry8)Ry9, —ORy10, —S(O)2Ry11 and a 4- to 6-membered heterocycloalkyl group containing two or one heteroatom(s) selected from oxygen and nitrogen;
• R8 independently represents hydrogen, fluoro, chloro, bromo, —ORy10 or C1-3 alkyl optionally substituted by one or more fluoro atoms;
• A represents phenyl, 2-pyridyl, C3-10cycloalkyl, C1-12 linear or branched alkyl, all of which are optionally substituted by one or more substituents selected from R9;
• R9 represents on each occasion when used herein:
• halo, —CN, —N(Ry1)Ry2, —N(Ry3)—C(O)—Ry4, —N(Ry5)—S(O)2—Ry6, —C(O)ORy7, —C(O)N(Ry8)Ry9, —ORy10, —S(O)m—Ry11, —S(O)2O—Ry12, —S(O)2N(Ry13)Ry14 and/or —C(O)Ry15, C1-6alkyl optionally substituted by one or more substituents selected from halo, —CN, —N(Ry1)Ry2, —N(Ry3)—C(O)—Ry4, —N(Ry5)—S(O)2—Ry6, —C(O)ORy7, —C(O)N(Ry8)Ry9, —ORy10, —S(O)m—Ry11, —S(O)2O—Ry12, —S(O)2N(Ry13)Ry14 and/or —C(O)Ry15;
• aryl or heteroaryl, which latter two groups are optionally substituted by one or more groups selected from C1-7 alkyl optionally substituted by one or more substituents selected from fluoro and —ORx2;
• halo;
• —CN and/or —O—C1-7 alkyl optionally substituted by one or more fluoro atoms;
• or
• any two R9 substituents,
• when attached to the adjacent atoms of the A group and,
• in the case where the R9 substituents are attached to a non-aromatic A group,
• when attached to the same atoms,
• may be linked together to form, together with the essential atoms of the A group to which the relevant R9 substituents are necessarily attached, a further 3- to 8-membered ring, optionally containing a further one or two heteroatoms, and which further ring optionally contains one or two unsaturations and which is optionally substituted by one or more C1-3 alkyl and/or ═O substituents;
• each Ry4, Ry6, Ry11 and Ry15:
• independently represent C1-4 alkyl;
• and
• each Rx2, Ry1, Ry2, Ry3, Ry5, Ry7, Ry8, Ry9, Ry10, Ry12, Ry13,and Ry14 :
• independently represent hydrogen or C1-4 alkyl optionally substituted by one or more substituents selected from halo atoms and —OC1-2-alkyl;
• or
• any two of these groups, when attached to the same nitrogen atom, that is Ry1 and Ry2, Ry8 and Ry9, or Ry13 and Ry14, may, together with that nitrogen atom to which they are necessarily attached, be linked together to form a 3- to 8-membered ring, which ring is optionally containing one or two further nitrogen or oxygen heteroatoms and optionally containing one or two double bonds in the ring and optionally substituted by one or more C1-3 alkyl and/or ═O substituents,
• with the proviso that:
• if R6 is hydrogen;
• and R8 independently are hydrogen, C1-3 alkyl optionally substituted with one or more fluoro atoms or —ORy10 represents C1-7 alkyl or cycloalkyl which latter two groups are optionally substituted with one or more fluoro atoms;
• then A is not phenyl or 2-pyridyl;
• or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.